Growing & Preserving
Interested in reserving your spot in our upcoming Preservation Workshop? You can register right here! Come learn how to can, ferment, quick-pickle, cordial, and more!
Hello my friends,
It’s amazing how much even a single day, a single moment, can change the trajectory of life. If I were to ask you “What do you want?” what would your answer be?
Think about it, actually. What do you want?
The first and easiest answer is usually something material: I want a new car, I want a bigger paycheck, I want an upgraded blender…
Think about it, again. This time for real: What do you really want?
I asked Stuart this same question years ago and his response has since been nestled solidly in my heart: I want a quiet and content life.
Our life certainly isn’t quiet, as to be expected when you’re self-employed (a massive thank you to our $5/month paid supporters, btw), run a farm, and homeschool your four children. But a few days ago we did the math and in ten short years, our last child will be 18. Parenting doesn’t certainly stop at 18, but it does change. It already has! We are no longer on the schedule for changing diapers and middle of the night feedings - that phase of life has already passed into something new and different.
In another ten years, where do we want to be?
As I fast-forward ten years in my mind, I put shape to the days by thinking of the tasks, hobbies, work, and desires that we would still have an appetite to consume. So while I’m still holding close the desires of where we’d like to be ten years down the road with work, I can assure you of this:
I will preserve.
Regardless of where I live, if I grew the food myself or bought it at the market, there will never be a time in which I do not celebrate seasonal produce and preserve it for the months ahead - whether it’s one jar or one hundred. It was one of the first hobbies I took on as a newly married homemaker and one that simply delights my heart. It brings my heart and soul peace. It is a bounty of pleasure!
We are celebrating what this looks like in this week’s new video, an ode to a way of life that has become as natural as breathing (though I’ll be the first to admit it’s much harder than that). Not only are we highlighting what this looks like in any given day during the summer here on our homestead, but we’re also inviting 20 of you to vpersonally join us in this month’s Preservation Workshop.
This will be the only Preserving Workshop that we do this year - and will be our final workshop for 2024! Come join us LIVE for 3 hours of preserving together - you in your kitchen, me in mine.
In this 3-hour online workshop, we will cover:
homestyle jam
fermentation
quick pickling
cordial making
under-oil techniques
Worth noting that absolutely no special preservation equipment is required. Some standard canning jars are all that you will need! I assure you that you will leave with a deeper knowledge of preservation, confidence in tackling your summer produce, and a new found appreciation for this satisfying summer task that will nourish you through the winter.
When you register, you will be sent a package in the mail prior to the workshop which includes:
A logo-stitched apron
A signed Family Table cookbook
A workshop packet with recipes + information for our workshop
A piece of my sourdough starter
A special bonus as a thank you for joining in
You can reserve your spot to this special workshop right here.
We’re heading into high summer which means that there’s going to be plenty of opportunities for lavender bundle gathering, mint leaf drying, cherry jam making, and more. It’s going to be a delicious season! I hope to see some of you soon…
Cheers,
Shaye